Boat Show & Watersports Exhibition

Sport boat licence in your pocket, time to cast off! But it doesn't have to be your own motor or sailing yacht. Chartering a boat has a number of advantages.Chartering is a good option, especially for boating beginners, as there are no financial risks involved. Chartering also lets you try out different types of boats and experiment with them flexibly. Variety is also guaranteed by the different charter locations. And you don't have to worry about your own mooring and transfers – you simply rent a boat in the desired location and off you go on your adventure. With each new sailing location, your personal wealth of experience expands automatically.Chartering is also ideal for the inexperienced skipper without a sports boating licence. Many smaller boats or houseboats can be hired without this licence.And for more experienced skippers who don’t want to commit to a specific mooring or those who are looking for a boating holiday only once or twice a year, chartering also represents a flexible and cost-effective solution. It eliminates all the obligations and costs associated with owning your own boat, such as mooring fees, maintenance and upkeep.

What needs to be considered when chartering?

First things first: you should realistically assess your own skills and choose the type of charter accordingly. If you have many years of sailing experience under your belt, a bareboat charter is ideal. You are the skipper and responsible for the boat and the selection of your crew. An exclusive and comfortable way to cruise on the water is a skippered charter. In this case, a professional skipper is in charge of the boat, if necessary with an accompanying crew. Or you can sail in a flotilla of several yachts taking the same route. Ideal for sailing novices or less experienced skippers, as each boat sails independently but can always call on assistance from the mother ship.

Equally important is the selection of a suitable location. This should also be adapted to the personal skills and knowledge of you and your crew. Right from the start, a well-planned trip is always oriented towards the "weakest" link in the crew chain. Whether children or those new to boating – everyone must first get used to life and procedures on board.

In addition, you shouldn’t be too ambitious in terms of time management. It’s advisable to plan in a buffer or just draw up a rough grid rather than planning the entire trip on a tight schedule in advance. This not only ensures more relaxation on board, but also gives you room to manoeuvre in case of unforeseen events.

Last but not least, read the fine print in the charter contract thoroughly! A contract must contain at least, for example, the full names and addresses of the charterer and lessor, all boat specs and data, the charter price and duration, information on the place and time of takeover and return, a list of the equipment as well as a protocol of any pre-existing damage. 

This year, the Düsseldorf Aquazoo with its maritime biodiversity provides a unique backdrop for the award ceremony of the "ocean tribute" award 2022. In front of the impressive panorama with a recreated coral reef, the Executive Board of the German Ocean Foundation, Frank Schweikert, and boot Project Director Petros Michelidakis present the winner of this year's “ocean tribute” award. In the run-up, the expert jury had selected five nominees from the 27 international applications. In a public voting, marine conservationists and boot fans then voted for their favorite."And the winner is: HelioRec," Petros Michelidakis announces in the award ceremony film. And his fellow competitor Frank Schweikert explains why both the jury and the public voted for HelioRec from Nantes: "The French company scores with its environmentally friendly electric charging stations (ECS) for the maritime sector based on floating solar power plants. Unused water is converted into a clean energy source through a floating offshore solar cell system. The main objectives of the project are to save land area in a port area, generate a clean energy source, establish fast charging stations for electric vehicles and electric boats in the port, and realize new digital services for data prediction and optimization. Other concepts of the project are fast charging stations for electric vehicles and electric boats in the port. Another goal is the circular economy approach: recycled plastic is used to manufacture floating systems, reducing system costs and carbon footprint."In the award ceremony, which will be held digitally due to the pandemic cancellation of boot 2022, Michelidakis will present the "ocean tribute" award trophy and a check for the prize money of €20,000, provided by the Monaco-based Prince Albert II Foundation and Messe Düsseldorf. "Healthy oceans and clean waters are a top priority for all friends of water sports Our oceans also play a major role in terms of the climate balance and therefore, with the "ocean tribute" award, we hope to attract further supporters for this important cause," the boot Director explains the commitment.Since 2018, the "ocean tribute" award has been sponsored by the Prince Albert II Foundation, the German Ocean Foundation and boot Düsseldorf annually and awarded at boot Düsseldorf. Companies, institutions, associations, initiatives and research facilities that would like to apply for the 2023 award can do so on the website https://oceantributeaward.boot.com from May 2022. Public voting for the "ocean tribute" 2023 will start in autumn also on the award website.boot Düsseldorf will once again anchor on the Rhine from 21 to 29 January 2023.Home port for international water sports

boot Düsseldorf has been the home port and motor for international water sports for 53 years. It offers boating in all its facets from 21st  to 29th January 2023 and has the top brands on board. Both sailors and motor boaters will find a comprehensive range of boats here, from entry-level boats and dinghies to luxury yachts. Diving, surfing, paddling and fishing are also in the spotlight at boot. With the innovative and technically sophisticated products of the exhibitors, boot is the international innovation platform for its sector and, apart from the pandemic-related break, the starting signal for the new water sports season every year in January. With its comprehensive range of tourism products in the destination seaside for holidays and sports on, by and in the water, it attracts all people who want to spend their leisure time by the sea, rivers and lakes. Attractive stage programs with interesting interview partners from the industry, the latest trend sports offers and a top-class mix of workshops and meetings for both leisure sports enthusiasts and experts make the fair unique worldwide. boot Düsseldorf is once again in 2023 the first address for both the water sports enthusiast family and international experts.

source:superyachtnews.com